OUR DREAM

Boosting the city’s cultural heritage, turning
the Cloister into a center for craft, performance and art in the heart of Naples.

"Made in Cloister" will revive ancient artisanal skills through the vision of artists and designers.

Involving the local community in order to develop a model for the sustainable development of the area and attracting young people and an international public focusing on the values of art, craftwork and culture.

IF I CONTRIBUTE TO THIS KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN,
WHAT WILL MONEY FUND?

If successful, this Kickstarter will cover the first phase of the Cloister restoration: cover the Cloister by rebuilding the roof.
If hopefully the campaign will exceed the goal of £ 75,000 we will be able to complete even other steps of the Global Restoration Project: restoring the Frescoes and the Cloister building (colonnade, arcade and wooden 16th century parts).

Once restored, the Cloister will become a center for design and craftsmanship. The center will include a multi-purpose space to house exhibitions, artisan workshops, art events as well as hosting artists residencies.

A new community of local and international artists, designers and artisans will arise around the revived Cloister.

A public space, active daily, that will live in harmony with the local community and its development.

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Antony Hegarty (from Antony and the Johnsons)

THE
PROJECT

The Project starts with the restoration of the
Cloister itself, with its original architec­ture and 16th century frescoes in
order to convert its interior and the area of the “la­nificio” used as a
Woollen Mill, into a place for meeting, experimenting and “producing” in which
the artists and designers involved will be able to “reside” and work with the
master craftsmen.

Focus will be placed on the creative and
productive process while recording the research, planning and building phases
with the aim of developing awareness and knowledge of artisanal activities and
the values and spirit that inspire these wonder­ful master craftsmen.

Inside the Cloister, there will be a perma­nent
display of the works created during the artists’ stay and this may lead to
further exhibitions, musical and theatrical perfor­mances, readings, etc.

There will also be conferences, talks and
meetings directed at those who are intere­sted in the development of
handicrafts and creative activities. Lastly, a training pro­gramme to be
carried out in the artisans’ workshops will be set up for young people chosen
from all over the world.

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Clifford Ross

THE CRAFTSMEN

The city of Naples
has the largest historic centre in Europe, declared World Heritage Site by
Unesco in 1995. Through 27 centuries of history the city has preserved an
extraordinary stratification that - starting from the ancient Greek road layout
- is expressed in an impressive artistic, architectural and cultural heritage.

The historic
centre of Naples, a vast populous area inhabited by genuine humanity and
custodian of ancient folk traditions , it is also the place where they have
developed the most ancient forms of processing resulting in centuries of
extraordinary craft traditions that have been handed down for generations and
that today, sadly, are likely to disappear.

The workshops
guard a wealth of skills and values ​​that represent the roots of the strength
of that Made in Italy that now more than ever needs to be recovered , preserved
and passed on to younger generations.

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Vittorio Avella

SOCIAL IMPACT

The creation of a network of creative businesses, the identification of
entities already operating in social and cultural areas, dialogue with museums
and educational institutions of the territory, the interaction between artists
and craftsmen, give Made in Cloister the ability to engage the area of Porta
Capuana and its inhabitants, contributing to the growth of that awareness
necessary for the maturation of human dimensions and the good life. The
combination of all these elements, and being open to exchange with other
creative production in an international context, should give the cloister a
note of preciousness, and give it the strength needed to become a centre for
the rebirth of the neighbourhood through the engine of creativity.

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Jimmie Durham and Maria Thereza Alves

Photo by Harry Pierce, Pentagram

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Yuval Avital

REWARDS

Pledge £1 or more

Heartfelt Thank You digital Made in Cloister postcard.

Pledge £15 or more

"Made in Cloister Member" digital certificate illustrated by Mimmo Paladino. Plus "Member" Status commemorated on the Official Led Screen located in the Cloister's Lounge and on the website.

Free one-day stay (for two people) at Cloister Residence in Porta Capuana, Naples. Plus all the above in £15 pledge.

Pledge £250 or more

Pair of cufflinks in sterling silver decorated with 2 cabochon in white agate and obsidian, worn by Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush in the Best Offer movie.
Entirely finished by hand. Clip closure with gold insert. Plus all the above in £15 pledge.

#1 pair of 1950s armchairs restored in Naples by the artisans of Made in Cloister, covered in eco-leather. Plus Made in Cloister "Founder" Certificate.

Pledge £5,000 or more

Unrejected Wild Flora. Drawing on canvas by Maria Thereza Alves. Original work (sizes 15,70 x 23,60 inches) signed by artist. Plus Made in Cloister Founder certificate.

Risks and challenges

Made in Cloister is a project started 2 years ago with the acquisition of the building and the beginning of its renovation, the promoter have already funded the first important phases of project.

The challenge, now, will be raising the remainder of the funds needed to cover the roof, complete the renovation and start with the activities.

The identification of property located within the complex of the woolen mill, former convent of the church of Santa Caterina in Formiello, supreme example of Renaissance and Baroque in Naples , have allowed us to give a physical space to the project "Made in Cloister ".

The Cloister is located in the center of the city of Naples, rich in archaeological sites and monuments and unfortunately linked to decades of neglect.

Setting up a cultural center in this area represents in the same time a fascinating challenge and a risk that we are happy to run into.

“Made in Cloister” biggest challenge will be to create a meeting point for artisans, artists, architects, operators and cultural institutions. Made in Cloister chooses to emphasize the protection and especially the artisan culture of innovation , because it identifies the non-verbal form of knowledge continually threatened by existential modes of production and the globalized world, in which humanity is forced by the logic of consumption that debase their nature.

Convinced that an authentic craftsmanship innovation can be fed from a continuous exchange of knowledge and skills acquired and passed down over time, with more dynamic design strategies and targeted interpretation of new technologies, "Made in Cloister " sees in the dialogue and confrontation between artisans, artists and architects the requirement necessary for those precious rules that define "doing" craft can be creatively re-invented , interpreting , in this way , new instances of the contemporary.

The craftsman himself is the bearer of values necessary to the quality of life and his work is tied hand in glove to the place where it takes place. In a scenario increasingly "liquid", as Baumann defines the contemporary world, where it is easier and easier to separate the worker from the work and don’t take responsibility for its impact on the environment, the permanence of the craftsman, his roots in the cultural, social, ecological in which he lives and works, makes it the ideal protagonist of sustainable development and the good life, that more and more parties now invoke.

The architectural project for the restoration and conversion has been approved by the Superintendence for Architectural Heritage by resolution no. 14158/11 this is something very important to guarantee, as soon as we complete the funding, the opening of the center in a reasonable time.

Anyway we diligently undertake the role to keep all of you updated about the status of the project both in contingent delays and developments.

We think this attitude will help us to develop a supportive and active international community all around “Made in Cloister” as a very important part of the success and the life of the project itself.

“Made in Cloister” is managed by a small team in charge of many ongoing initiatives. Part of their responsibilities are planning and programming, exhibitions, performances and craftsmen project congruent and logical with our mission.

We also continuously seek government and foundations support, enlarging our audience, helping the world of the local artisans in cooperating with creativity international community.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £250 or more
About US$ 313

Pair of cufflinks in sterling silver decorated with 2 cabochon in white agate and obsidian, worn by Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush in the Best Offer movie. Entirely finished by hand by Cristiano Barbarulo for Gemellidapolso. Clip closure with gold insert.
Plus all the above in 15£ pledge.